Debt. In a time where the Reserve Bank cash rate and similarly the interest rates for borrowing are the lowest we have seen, it has become a temptation for us as consumers to borrow.

So, what exactly is debt? Debt is the obligation for one party (debtor) to pay money to another (creditor). We almost all certainly have had a debt, and it remains one of the most common financial goals of clients to repay debt and be debt-free.

A case can easily be made that there is no such thing as good debt and that to owe money is always bad, but this does not have to be true.

Let’s break debt up into 3 areas. Good, bad and smart

Good

Often when it comes to a big-ticket item, debt may be the only option as a means of raising funds to purchase the good. The main item here is your home. A home can be seen as a key item that can be funded through rent or home ownership. The idea of rent being ‘dead money’ which could be used towards a home purchase through debt repayment, leads many consumers to the decision to borrow for their own home, and why not when the government also provides incentives for first home buyers. Another benefit is that under most circumstances, the primary residence is also capital gains exempt.

Knowledge is a powerful resource and with it can often come greater opportunity to build wealth through employment. Borrowing for study can be very beneficial to help get that new job or to ask for a pay rise. Care must be taken to ensure, when selecting a course of study, that the future benefit will be there. The Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) is a government support loan that may help fund further education.

The last item I will cover as ‘good debt’ is one to borrow for a small business. Being your own boss, earning a salary and controlling your employment are all very positive features. There is a greater risk with this loan given the history of failures of small businesses. Much of the business success will depend on your willingness to work hard to build and maintain the business, determining from the outset that the business will be profitable and be able to repay the debt, and gaining an understanding of the type of business and how to manage a business prior to commencing.

Bad

‘Bad debt’ involves the borrowing of money to purchase a depreciating asset often through a personal loan. We all know this one and are guilty of discretionary spending on items in this category. Loans of this type are typically at higher interest rates, only increasing the reason for defining them as ‘bad’.

Our most common item for ‘bad debt’ is the family car. It is often seen as a ‘good debt’ for the reason of the functionality it provides, but the reality is that in most cases, the value of a car depreciates (in cases of new cars by up to ~$5000 upon leaving the showroom). By the time of debt repayment, the vehicle is often worth less than 50% of the value initially paid. Boats, motorbikes and jet skis are all similar examples of ‘bad debt’ loans.

Credit card and ‘Buy Now Pay Later’ debt is by far the biggest issue of ‘bad debt’ for most Australian households. Our penchant for spending on consumables, goods and services ensure that many of us require these credit options. Whilst an increase in the use of debit cards (spending money you already have) has reduced credit card use; through COVID-19, with reductions on the use of cash and an increase in online purchases, we have seen this type of debt continue to increase. For more information on credit cards, refer to the article in The Investment Collective’s Winter 2020 Newsletter by Cheng Qian. Our ever-increasing desire for discretionary spending on clothing, music, holidays, take away meals and even that morning coffee can all contribute to bad debt.

Smart

The last category is smart debt. Often referred to as an investment debt or gearing. This debt involves borrowing money (at a low rate) to invest in a product that will hopefully have a higher rate of return to generate wealth in a faster manner. There is an obvious risk with this debt and that is the need to generate a return with a higher rate than that being paid, otherwise, there is financial loss. That is, whilst it can magnify a gain, it can also magnify a loss. This type of borrowing can provide an income tax deduction and enable a larger portfolio to provide greater diversification in your portfolio to reduce risk. Gearing should only be considered after discussions with your financial adviser to see if it is a suitable option for you and your financial circumstances and goals.

In summary, commencing debt can be very tempting and even seen as a need, and at the right time and for the right reason, can easily be a justified option rather than saving the amount in full prior to purchase. Debt will always need to be repaid and when looking at commencing a significant debt, always take the time to discuss the situation with your financial adviser to see how it fits with your financial situation, goals and objectives. A well-managed approach to debt can ensure that no matter what category of debt (good, bad or smart) that it delivers for you.

Please note this article provides general advice only and has not taken your personal, business or financial circumstances into consideration. If you would like more tailored advice, please contact us today.

2020 was a rollercoaster ride for investors, as we experienced the most volatile stock market in decades. However, the 30-40% dip experienced by ASX investors in a mere matter of weeks is nothing in comparison to cryptocurrency investors and Bitcoin fanatics who can experience this on a daily basis. Bitcoin has been all over the news recently as it has surpassed the psychologically important level of US$50,000 per coin on the back of Tesla’s $1.5 billion investment. This leaves the question, what exactly is a Bitcoin and can we view it as a valid investment?

What is Bitcoin

Attempting an analogy to explain Bitcoin is no easy task as there is nothing quite like it. Even the best comparisons out there will be imperfect.

Bitcoin is a virtual currency created in 2009 as an alternative to government issued ‘medium of exchange’, which most of us know as physical money. It is designed to hold a similar function as a ‘store of value’ with the closest comparison being gold, this is why many refer to Bitcoin as ‘Digital Gold’. The major difference between Bitcoin, gold and cash is that you cannot hold onto a Bitcoin and you definitely cannot fashion it into a piece of jewellery, it only exists on an electric file. Transactions for Bitcoins are recorded and distributed via a decentralised ledger, which removes the need for government control in the regulation of money supply, and hence Bitcoin is referenced as ‘Decentralised Money.’

Is Bitcoin money?

There are generally three functions of money:

• Money is a store of value: Consider it as a means of saving and allocation of capital. The issue with physical money is that inflation will erode the associated purchasing power over time.
• Money is a unit of account: This allows it to measure value in transactions and facilitates a means of exchange. All financial terms around profits, losses, income, expenses, debt and wealth can be measured against money.
• Money as a means of exchange: Put simply, you can buy things with it and it will be accepted almost anywhere and everywhere. Grocery shopping, buying a home or even lending services are all applicable with a universal understanding and acceptance of money.

Bitcoin has been surging in popularity; however, it is nowhere near being universally accepted as a unit of account or a means of payment. In light of recent events, some countries have even gone so far as to ban it entirely. Quoting billionaire Mark Cuban “Bitcoin would have to be so easy to use it’s a no-brainer. It would have to be completely friction-free and understandable by everybody first. So easy, in fact, that grandma could do it.”

Is Bitcoin like gold?

The common theme around Bitcoin and gold is that they are both speculative in terms of their valuations and are both viewed as a hedge to conventional monies such as the USD. The main reason Bitcoin is more closely aligned to gold as opposed to shares is that cash flow, revenue, earnings, interest payments or dividends do not determine the prices of these instruments. They are only worth as much as people are willing to pay for them as an alternative asset and as a ‘store of value’.

Bitcoin specifics

• Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency; however, it is only one of the many thousands of cryptocurrencies available on the digital market.
• A cryptocurrency is held electronically and can be used to buy goods and services online.
• Cryptocurrencies are powered by Blockchain, which is a decentralised technology that manages and records transactions spread across many computers.
• Bitcoin is not dependant on central banks or governments in control of the money supply. It also does not flow through the traditional banking system.

To put it simply, regular people like you and I can contribute to the record-keeping of Bitcoin transactions via our private computers, however in reality, it is not that simple. The key takeaway is that Bitcoin is decentralised which removes the need for central banks (such as the Reserve Bank of Australia) and retail banks (such as our Big 4, CBA, WBC, ANZ & NAB). For those with little faith in government regulation and a heavy distrust in our banking system, this is Bitcoins greatest appeal yet this same definition around unregulated monies is also why so many stay far away from the digital asset.

In summary, we are not able to conclude whether Bitcoin can be viewed as a valid investment. It is somewhat similar to money, somewhat similar to gold and the price volatility of late bears similarity to an extremely volatile stock market. What we can agree on is that the digital asset cannot be ignored, with over $1.5 Trillion in cryptocurrency assets, it will be interesting to see if Bitcoin is still around at the end of the decade.

Please note this article provides general advice only and has not taken your personal, business or financial circumstances into consideration. Bitcoin is not on The Investment Collective’s Approved Products List and will not form part of any client portfolios. If you would like more tailored advice, please contact us today.

The ‘Concessional Catch-up Rule’ (catch-up rule) was introduced by the government a couple of years ago and provides individuals with superannuation balances less than $500,000 greater flexibility when making concessional contributions. From 1 July 2018, individuals have been able to accumulate unused concessional caps and utilise the difference in future financial years.

Concessional contributions are a valuable retirement planning tool that can enable Australian’s to build a retirement nest egg whilst also receiving valuable tax concessions in the process.

Why make concessional contributions?

Concessional contributions are a great way to reduce tax, as these contributions are those which are either sourced from pre-tax monies (before tax is paid at your marginal tax rate (MTR)), or voluntary contributions for which you intend to make a tax deduction claim. In both situations, the result is that rather than being taxed at your MTR, which could be up to 47% including Medicare levy, you are instead taxed at either 15% or 30% for high income earners. This means that so long as your MTR is lower than the applicable superannuation tax rate, there is a tax benefit to be had.

The introduction of the catch-up rule is great news for those with low superannuation balances with plans to boost their savings in preparation for retirement. However, there is also room for creativity in its use, where strategies can be devised to assist in the minimisation of large tax bills in future years.

In order to be eligible to utilise the Concessional Catch-up Rule, you must satisfy the following criteria

• Be eligible to make concessional contributions: it is a requirement that you be eligible to contribute to superannuation in order to utilize this rule.
• Have a Total Super Balance (TSB) of less than $500,000 at the end of the preceding financial year: in order to be eligible, you must have a TSB less than $500,000 as of 30 June of the previous financial year. Your TSB is the total sum of all funds held within the superannuation environment and includes those held in accumulation, pension, defined benefit and those funds in transit due to a rollover between funds.
• Have unused concessional caps from the past 5 financial years: it is unlikely for anyone to meet this criterion at this moment, as due to the recent nature of this legislation you have only been able to accumulate unused caps from 1 July 2018 onwards. This means that at the time of writing, only 2 financial years are readily available to be brought forward.

The following table illustrates how the accumulation of unused caps can play out going into the future:

Tax planning strategies utilising the catch-up rule

The introduction of the carry forward rule has opened the doors to some creative tax planning strategies, as eligible individuals can take advantage of unused concessional caps to reduce tax payable. We can see this being exceptionally valuable going forward for those with an investment property, business asset sale or share portfolio with a large unrealised capital gain tax (CGT) liability. Essentially, if an investor knows that they will generate a large capital gain and consequently incur a large tax bill, the catch-up rule could be used to their advantage.

If you would like to discuss how this could be applicable to you or if you are interested in discussing your broader financial goals & objectives, please contact one of our advisers for a no obligation discussion.

Please note this article provides general advice only and has not taken your personal, business or financial circumstances into consideration. If you would like more tailored advice, please contact us today.

Everyone needs a financial plan and everyone should make a plan that suits their particular circumstances.

You can make your own financial plan that will set you on the path to good financial health. The first, and possibly the most important part is goal setting.

We’ve talked about goals here before, so it’s important to remember to set SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-based) goals. You will need to think about what you want in the short-term, which might be anywhere from now through to 3-4 years, the medium-term which could be from 5-8 years and then long-term goals that look well into the future.

An example of a short-term goal is to finance a new car in 2 years’ time, a medium-term goal might be to save enough for a deposit on a house within 5 years and a long-term goal could be that you don’t want to rely on social security payments when you retire.

It does not matter whether the goal is a short-term or a long-term one, the means to achieving every one of those goals is the same!

You must first look at your income and expenses. Make a budget, this is a pretty simple thing to do these days with a proliferation of budgeting and cashflow apps available, the MoneySmart website is always a good place to begin.

Now you have made your budget and identified that you have some surplus income that you can direct towards saving for your goals, but the critical thing then is to stick to it! You must be very disciplined in ensuring that the identified savings part of your salary goes into your savings and stays there. It’s worth checking with your pay office to see if they will pay your salary into 2 different accounts, but if not, then you must make the transfer as soon as your pay comes in or set up a regular direct debit to occur at that time.  You must also avoid drawing from that account until you are ready to buy the object for which you have been saving.

Unfortunately, in the current economic climate you aren’t going to get much help in growing your savings account via interest payments. This means that you will need to shop around to find an account that pays at least some interest, and as your savings grow, you may be able to use term deposits or other high interest savings accounts for a larger balance.

This will matter to you less when you’re saving for a short-term goal than it will if you are looking at long-term savings. If your goals are long-term, the best course of action is to contact a financial adviser to assist, as you will need their expertise to advise you in relation to how to invest your funds and where to invest them.

Don’t hesitate to call one of our friendly advisers to assist you with your financial progress.

Please note this article provides general advice only and has not taken your personal, business or financial circumstances into consideration. If you would like more tailored advice, please contact us today.

Retirement presents a number of new challenges as well as uncertainty for many Australians. The current economic volatility and low return on cash savings are increasing drivers for Australians seeking advice. It is important to obtain appropriate and tailored advice as it will help retirees navigate the change from saving for retirement to relying on your savings during retirement.

The danger of running out of money is the second biggest worry for retirees, with 53% of Australians concerned about outliving their savings. (National Seniors Australia 2020[i])

There are many ways we can provide value when planning for retirement:

• Reviewing your historical spending to determine likely spending habits during retirement to know how much you need to support your lifestyle.
• How to structure your savings to minimise or even eliminate tax.
• Review your risk tolerance and understanding of the risk-return relationship.
• Assist eligible retirees to access Centrelink benefits to supplement income and extend retirement asset longevity.
• Ongoing review service to ensure you remain on track and are coping outside of employment.

The COVID-19 global pandemic is the current driver of volatility and low interest rates. The need to maintain a long-term investment strategy and avoid instinctively making emotional decisions is imperative to ensure that your retirement savings continue working for you.

Understanding your needs and objectives allows us to provide tailored and relevant strategies to support effective decision-making and a long-term plan that guides you through a stress-free retirement.

Please note this article provides general advice only and has not taken your personal, business or financial circumstances into consideration. If you would like more tailored advice, please contact us today.

[i] https://nationalseniors.com.au/uploads/0120203573PAR-RetirementIncomeWorry-ChallengerRpt-FNREV.pdf

It’s a common occurrence as a financial adviser when someone asks me what I do for a living, and when I tell them, the reply is “oh, I need to see one of those”. I like to ask what they are wanting to see an adviser about. Inevitably it is to build wealth, but often they haven’t explored what they want the wealth for.

A key step when engaging with a financial adviser is having an understanding of your present circumstances, and having ideas, maybe not definitive, of goals you want to achieve. Sounds easy?

Not everyone knows what they want to do, achieve or what might even be possible.  Depending on the stage of your life, your goals could range from buying a house, travel, retirement, debt reduction, or even estate planning and the priorities for each goal will continue to change over time. This is where your financial adviser can assist to work through your goals and objectives with you, establish a financial plan suited to your needs and help you on the way to success.

Sometimes we have a goal but can’t define it. When setting goals, we need to think S.M.A.R.T.

Is the goal;

• specific,
• measurable,
• achievable,
• relevant to you; and,
• has a timeframe been set?

Having a S.M.A.R.T goal is shown to improve a client’s focus, whether it be saving money to travel around Australia next year, to paying debt off by retirement, knowing the ‘end game’ and what is important to you is essential.

A couple more ideas when setting your goals;

• “Don’t be afraid to dream” – not everything will always be possible, but if you don’t aspire to a goal, then chances are you won’t make it.
• In setting personal goals there is no right answer except the one that works for you.
• “Share your goals” – discuss with your partner and family what you want to achieve. Working together on a family goal like saving for a pool at home is a great activity and can show the kids the value of budgeting.

Finally, everyone must have goals, dreams and ambitions. Even if you don’t know what you might want, discuss your ideas with your adviser who will be more than happy to assist you.

Please note this article provides general advice only and has not taken your personal, business or financial circumstances into consideration. If you would like more tailored advice, please contact us today.

Much like how the Global Financial Crisis hit the economic wellbeing of many retirees so has COVID-19, with confidence in the quality of life in retirement and how long money will last being shaken.  Returns on cash and term deposits are negligible and that doesn’t look like changing anytime soon, which augurs well for growth assets given interest rates appear to be ‘lower for longer’.

Allianz Retire+ conducted some research during the pandemic some months ago and they received over 1,000 respondents from current and prospective retirees.  Here are some key findings.

1. Money is a recurring worry for retirees

24% of the respondents said they worried about making ends meet whilst 20% indicated money was a constant worry.

2. Spending even less on necessities, luxuries

75% of retirees said they were spending less on luxuries due to COVID-19. 68% of respondents said they were only buying necessities.

3. Many retirees did not feel financially secure

51% of those surveyed did not feel secure in their financial position.

4. Wealth destruction

36% of respondents said they had lost money during the COVID-19 market downturn. 13% believed they had experienced financial losses that would not be recovered during their retirement.

5. Vulnerable to another financial shock

61% did not believe their financial situation was safe in the event of another economic downturn.

6. Lack of control

45% did not feel in control of their financial future. Heightened market volatility was making many retirees feel they were at the mercy of global financial markets and unable to control their financial future.

7. Quality of life worries

34% of retirees worried about whether their finances would allow them to have a good quality of life.

8. Illness, market uncertainty top concerns

Top five concerns were:

• becoming ill (55%)
• unexpected costs (45%)
• losing a loved one (44%)
• not having enough money to live the life they wanted to live in retirement (34%)
• the risk of one-off market downturns (32%)

9. More conservative approach

62% of surveyed retirees said they were taking a more conservative approach to their retirement because of COVID-19. Given that many retirees already live conservatively, the finding added to the broader survey theme of retirees cutting back further and taking fewer financial risks during the pandemic.

10. Retirement expectations being downgraded

23% of retirees now had more negative expectations of their retirement due to COVID-19.

11. Wary of financial advice

23% of respondents sought financial advice, even though they were feeling less financially secure. Allianz Retire+ research consistently finds that retirees who used professional investment advice felt more confident in their financial position.

Some confidence has returned to markets over the last 5-6 weeks as vaccine rollouts appear to be close to happening.  The U.S election result has also calmed investors some. It would be interesting to view the results of the survey if it were conducted today.

Please note this article provides general advice only and has not taken your personal, business or financial circumstances into consideration. If you would like more tailored advice, please contact us today.

Philip Lowe, Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) announced a further cut to the cash rate down to 0.1% on 3 November 2020. This is a 0.15% reduction from 0.25%, which was held since March 2020. This is broadly in line with market expectations and brings Australia’s official interest rate in line with rates in comparable countries (which is around zero). For investors, it means lower rates for longer, with a rate hike unlikely in the coming years.

What is driving the latest easing?

Put simply, the RBA’s economic forecasts show that it does not expect to meet its inflation and employment objectives over the next 2 years and sees the recovery as being bumpy and drawn out. The RBA has been undershooting its 2-3% inflation objective for the last 5 years now.

Will the banks pass on the RBA rate cuts?

Passing all of the 0.15% cut will bring some downward pressure on bank profit margins as a significant chunk of deposits are already at or near zero rates. However, I believe the banks will pass most of it on as they will be under pressure from the RBA and the government who have been providing them with a lot of support (including cheap funding which is now 0.15% cheaper). If they do not, they will face public backlash.

Implications for investors?

There are a number of implications for investors from the latest easing by the RBA.

First, ultra-low interest rates will likely be with us for several more years, keeping bank deposit rates unattractive, so it is important for investors in bank deposits to assess alternative options.

Second, the low interest rate environment means the chase for yield is likely to continue supporting assets offering relatively high sustainable yields. This is likely to include Australian shares where despite sharp cuts to dividends, the grossed-up for franking credit dividend yield on shares remains far superior to the lower yield on bank term deposits. Investors need to consider what is most important; getting a decent income flow from their investment or absolute stability in the capital value of that investment. Of course, the equation will turn less favourable if economic activity deteriorates again.

Third, the ongoing decline in mortgage rates along with easing lending standards will help boost house prices, but bear in mind that high unemployment and a hit to immigration will likely impact throughout the year ahead. The housing outlook also varies dramatically between cities given the rising demand for outer suburban and regional houses over inner city units.

Finally, lower rates and increased quantitative easing will help keep the Australian Dollar lower than otherwise, but it is still likely to rise over the year ahead if global recovery continues and this pushes up commodity prices.

If you are not satisfied with the interest rates on your savings or require assistance in reducing the interest rates on your mortgage, please speak to your financial adviser or a mortgage broker.

Please note this article provides general advice only and has not taken your personal, business or financial circumstances into consideration. If you would like more tailored advice, please contact us today.

One of the most important facets of financial planning is to understand our client’s risk profiles. Put simply, this is your tolerance to market volatility and downturns particularly, or the ‘sleep at night’ factor.

If your portfolio is invested with an asset allocation that does not match your risk profile, you will always be uncomfortable with market movements. The converse is that it is invested in line with your tolerance, and you aren’t concerned with short term volatility.

Typically, your risk tolerance is higher when you are younger, and decreases as you age. Think about the crazy things you might have done when you were 21, compared with the measured approach to your activities when you are 65. We react in exactly the same way with our investment decisions.

At 21, we have time on our side for market volatility and growth to smooth out, but this is not true as we age. This means that we must adjust the way we invest portfolios for clients in later life so that the exposure to growth assets is reduced, and there is an increase to the defensive assets.

Defensive assets are things like bonds, cash and other fixed interest instruments, that provide an income with a relatively level and stable capital value. Growth assets are domestic and international equities, property and infrastructure investments that have the ability to both grow significantly in value, as well as fall in value in times of stock market volatility.

Portfolios need to be constructed with a mix of these two broad categories, based on the client’s risk profile. Growth investors will typically have at least 80% invested in growth assets, whilst a moderately conservative investor might have only 20% in this category. A typical balanced portfolio, is middle of the road, a mix of growth and defensive assets in balance. This type of portfolio suits many people and doesn’t require much in the way of adjustment as we age. It’s perhaps not as exciting as a growth model, but is always a solid performer over the longer term.

At The Investment Collective, we will reassess your risk profile every 3-4 years, or more frequently if you become uncomfortable with market movements. This ensures that your portfolio matches your degree of comfort with markets.

If you would like to discuss the asset allocation in your portfolio, give one of our friendly advisers a call.

Please note this article provides general advice only and has not taken your personal, business or financial circumstances into consideration. If you would like more tailored advice, please contact us today.

If you’ve been made redundant, it’s important to take action so you can protect the lifestyle you’ve worked hard to achieve. Depending on the size of your redundancy payout and your current savings, you may want to reduce your spending to help see you through until you secure another position.

Making the most of your money

You could consider depositing your redundancy payout into an online savings account to give you the potential to earn extra interest while you determine what to do with your redundancy payment in the long term. If you have a home loan, you may also consider placing the redundancy payout in your mortgage offset account to reduce the ongoing interest cost on your loan.

Watch your budget

It may take some time to find a new job, therefore, it is a good idea to plan how your finances will see you through to re-employment. Online budgeting tools can be very useful in helping you understand what you spend and can help to identify areas where you can cut back.

Bad debt

Some people use part of their redundancy payment to pay off debts like their personal loans, car loans or credit cards. If you do put some money towards your debts, you may want to pay off those with higher interest rates first such as credit cards. Paying off these high interest accruing debts will assist with your ongoing cash flows.

Managing mortgage repayments

Keeping up your mortgage repayments when you’ve lost your income is often a priority. Contact your lender to talk through your options if you’re concerned that you may be out of work for some time and are worried about paying your mortgage. Delaying or restructuring your repayments, extending your loan term or switching to an interest only loan may be options to help you manage your financial situation through this period.

Review your employee benefits

You may need to make decisions about your life insurance and super contributions. Your super may be affected in ways you may not have anticipated after you leave your employer:

• You may lose some or all of your insurance cover when you are made redundant. So, check to see if insurance continuation options are available if it looks like you’ll lose your cover when you leave your current role.
• You may not be able to claim against your salary continuance, income protection or Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) policy if you are injured or ill while you’re out of work. If you’re made redundant, check with your insurer to find out how your policy is affected.
• You may lose your employee benefits or any fee discounts.
• Your super contributions from your employer will cease.

Seek professional financial advice

You may also want to consider seeking financial advice to help you make informed financial decisions in times of redundancy so you can continue to reach for your long-term financial goals.

Please note this article provides general advice only and has not taken your personal, business or financial circumstances into consideration. If you would like more tailored advice, please contact us today.